Belt-tightener.



A. HAEUSER. BELT TIGHTENER.

APPLIOATION IILED JULY 12, 1913.

1,097,093, Patented May 19, 19M

-I ANDREW HnEusER: a m/bums cOLUMEIA PLANOURAI'II CO..WASHINGTON: n. L

m i QM" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW HAEUSEB, OF FOUNTAIN CITY, WISCONSIN.

BELT TIGHTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1914.

Application filed. J 1113 12, 1913. Serial No. 778,738.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANDREW HAnUsnR, a citizenof the United States, residing at Fountain City, in the county ofBuffalo and State of WVisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Belt- Tighteners, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in belttighteners and has for its primary object to provide an improved andnovel form of belt tightener which may also be employed for guiding thebelt.

Another object of the invention is to provide a belt tightener which maybe readily adjusted at various angles to properly guide the belt whileengaged therewith for the purpose of tightening the same.

A further object is to provide an improved and novel means for adjustingthe belt tightener and mounting the latter in an improved form ofbearing on a resiliently held frame.

A further object is to provide an improved and novel form of supportingframe and means for adjustably and resiliently mounting the same upon astationary portion of the machine by which is carried the belt to betightened and guided.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists incertain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts tobe hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my complete device in use; Fig. 2is a top plan view thereof, parts being broken away; Fig. 3 is afragmentary detail elevation, showing the manner in which the end of thespring for resiliently retaining the device in normal position isconnected to a stationary portion of the machine; Fig. 4 is an enlargeddetail cross-sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is adetail perspective view of the casting removed.

Referring more specifically to the drawings in which similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1designates the idler or tightener properunder which the belt is engaged,it being understood that the idler is placed in the path of the belt andthat the idler or tightener proper is loosely mounted upon the shaft 2which has one end engaged transversely in one end of the bearing block 3and held in position therein by the set screw 4. The bearing block 3 ispivoted upon the plate 5 by the bolt 6 engaged through-said bearing andthrough the plate, and alsothrough the pivoted frame or arm 7, upon thefree end of which the plate is secured. The opposite side edges of theplate 5 are bent downwardly against the corresponding sides of thepivoted arm 7, as shown at 8, while the outer end of said plate is bentback uponitself'to form a guide,in the form of an 'overhanging flangeunderneath which the lip 10 at the outer end of the bearing block 3 isengaged. The plate 5 also has formed therewith, atits outer side, theupstanding forked guide 11, within which is engaged the adjusting screw12, which has its head positioned outwardly of the forked guide 11 whilethe annular groove 13 is formed in the screw near the head thereof toreceive the forked portions of the guide and prevent longitudinalmovement of the adjusting screw 12 within said guide. The adjustingscrew has threaded engagement with a nut 14 within the inner end of thebearing block 3, whereby rotation of the adjusting screw 12 in onedirection will turn the bearing block 3 in one direction upon the bolt 6and thereby change the direction of the shaft 2 with the idler ortightener proper mounted thereon with respect to the shafts 15 and 16upon which are mounted respectively the pulleys 17 and 18 around whichthe belt 19 is engaged. It will be evident that rotation of theadjusting screw 12 in a reverse direction will place the shaft 2 at adifferent angle and thereby cause the idler or tightener proper 1 toguide the belt accordingly.

The height of the end of the arm 7 upon which the casting 5 and bearingblock 3 are mounted may be readily regulated by means of the pivot bolt6. The arm 7 has extension strips 7 secured upon its side faces at oneend and the arm 7 is pivoted at this end by means of the pivot pin 21passed transversely through the extension strips 7 and through theupstanding ears of the bracket member 22, between which upstanding earsare positioned the free ends of the extension strips 7 it beingunderstood that the main portion of the bracket member 22 is mountedupon a stationary portion of the engine or machine. The free end of thearm 7 is resiliently retained in adjusted position by means of thehelical spring 23 which has one end secured to the longitudinal edge ofsaid arm 7 while the opposite end of the spring is secured to the freebent end of the strip 24 which is preferably secured by its opposite endand central portion to the inner face of the stationary member 20, bymeans of the fastenings 25, either one of which may be removed and againsecured in position after swinging the strip upon the remainingfastening to properly regulate the tension of the spring 23, as will bereadily understood.

Lateral movement of the free end of the,

arm 7 is prevented by the standard 26 which is secured at its lower endto the outer face of the stationary member 20 and engaged through theguide strip 27 which has its opposite ends offset from the main portionthereof and bent outwardly in opposite directions, as shown at 28 andsecured to the outer face of the arm 7, thereby allowing the guide stripto ride upon the standard 26 and guide the arm 7 during verticalmovement of the same.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided an improvedand simplified form of belt tightener and guide which may be readilyemployed upon various types of engines or machines and which will behighly efiicient and effective in use. It will be understood, however,that while I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, I donot wish to be limited to the specific form shown in the drawings anddescribed in the specification as minor changes 1n the details ofconstructlon and arrangement or the various parts may be made within thescope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of 111gunderneath said flange and guided thereby, and means for holding saidblock in adjustable positions on the plate.

2. A belt tensioning device, including a movable arm, a plate carriedthereby and formed with an overhanging flange, a block .pivotallymounted upon said plate and formed at one end with a lip extendingunderneath said flange and guided thereby in the movement of the block,a shaft carried by said block, a pulley mounted on said shaft, and meansconnected to said block and plate for adjusting the block on the plateand for holding the block in adjusted position.

3. A belt tensioning device, including a movable arm, a plate mountedthereon and formed with side flanges engaging the sides of said arm andat one end with an upstanding and overhanging flange, a block pivotallymounted on said plate and formed with a lip mounted underneath saidflange and guided thereby, the plate being formed at I one side with anupstanding forked guide,

and an adjusting screw swiveled in said guide and having an operableconnection with said block to adjust the same.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

ANDREW HAEUSER. Witnesses.

OLGA GEBHARDT, CHARLES F. PRUSSING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

